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"Dunne Replies to Blanshard on
Catholicism:
Speakers Clash Sharply Over Hierarchy, Morals Before
Overflow Crowd"
Harvard
Law Record - February 15, 1950 - Page 1
reprinted by permission
Speaking before a capacity audience at the Harvard Law School Forum last Friday evening, Father George Dunne, S.J., author of Religion and American Democracy, and Paul Blanshard, author of American Freedom and Catholic Power discussed the question of The Catholic Church and Politics. Henry D. Aiken, associate professor of philosophy at Harvard College, acted as moderator. While hundreds milled about outside auditorium unable to secure admission due to the record turnout, those admitted sought seats on stage, in the wings and along the sides of the theatre.
Mr. Blanshard argued that the Catholic Church as such has no right to adopt a stand on political questions with its position is not arrived at by the use of democratic processes among its constituents. Father Dunne urged that the Church has authority on moral questions and, further, has the right to attempt to propagate moral ideas and to influence non-Catholics in the realm of morals.
The Jesuit father likened Mr. Blanshard to Gerald L. K. Smith and charged him with such bias as to disqualify him from discussing any questions involving the Catholic Church. Mr. Blanshard deplored Father Dunne's reluctance to give a "specific reply" to his bill of particulars involving the "non-democratic structure" of the Catholic Church, and the Church's stand on such matters as parochial school education, marriage, divorce, birth control, and childbirth.
Forty minutes of the program, covering the rebuttal and question periods, were broadcast locally over station WHDH. Additional questions from the audience followed the broadcast portion of the question period.